Summary
Gideon’s Trumpet, a book by Anthony Lewis, tells the story of Clarence Earl Gideon, whose case in the Supreme Court changed the judicial system in the United States. Gideon was arrested and accused of breaking into a pool-room in Bay Harbor and stealing the cash inside.
The fact that Gideon served in prison before multiplied the severity of the punishment of apparently such a small crime. The main point of interest in this case was risen by the fact that Gideon was poor, and thus he could not afford a lawyer to defend him in court. The court denied Gideon’s request arguing that he was charged on a non-capital crime. Accordingly, Gideon was forced to represent himself in the court where he was convicted and handed down a sentence of five years in a Florida prison.
Serving the term in prison, Gideon utilizing the library wrote a petition to the Supreme Court stating that “his conviction violated the due-process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which provides that “No state shall… deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”” (Lewis, 1989, p. 8). In a new trial Gideon v. WainWright, the Court ruled that there is a flaw in the criminal justice systems, and thus guaranteed him a new trial with a lawyer assigned by the court, where in the second trial he was found not guilty.
From the course of the book, it can be seen that the delivery of the story integrated an interest in the person himself, i.e. Gideon, combined with the practical demonstration of the way the legal systems at that time, and assumingly at this time really work. Generally, being a simple case where neither Gideon nor the committed crime itself were intriguing, Anthony Lewis managed to bring an intrigue, specifically for people unfamiliar with case, by reversing the narration, where the story starts from the petition sent by Gideon.
Gideon v. WainWright
The significance of the Gideon v. WainWright case falls beyond the initial crime which Gideon was accused of. The case shows the disparity between the sixth amendment and the case which was taken as a precedent, i.e. Betts v. Brady. The Sixth amendment states that: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right… to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defen[s]e.” (“Gideon v. Wainwright (1963),” 2000). On the other hand, the conclusion of Betts v. Brady is rather controversial as limiting the right for an attorney to specific circumstances neither was supportive of the sixth amendment nor was acknowledging the case of Powell v. Alabama ten years earlier which stated that, “”the right to the aid of counsel is of this fundamental character.” (“Gideon v. Wainwright (1963),” 2000).
In that regard, the significance of the case can be witnessed through the way the law is developed. On the one hand, the development is slow, deliberate and case by case. (Lewis, 1989, p. 110). On the other hand, cases that gain wider recognition can demonstrate the true development of the law. In that sense, it can be seen that in addition to the judicial process, there were many major players that aided Gideon’s cause, such as real-life heroes, members of the post war legal elite, and Gideon’s lawyers. (May & University of Minnesota. Program in American Studies., 1989, p. 109).
Nevertheless, the case itself became a landmark Supreme Court decision, as it established the right for an attorney, regardless of the case’s circumstances, challenging the sixth and fourteenth amendments and accordingly was one of the major contributors to the process of refining the US legal systems, among the consequences of which the expansion of the role of public defendants.
Federal and State Court Systems
The differences of how each the case was approached by the federal and the state court systems can be seen through the different roles each of the system plays. State courts “have broad jurisdiction, so the cases individual citizens are most likely to be involved in,” (“Federal vs. State Courts – Key Differences,” 2009) and thus, the first case, i.e. Gideon v. Cochran, was handled within the jurisdiction of the state court. Accordingly, it was the state court that denied Gideon a representative in the court referring to the laws of the State of Florida, which state that the Court appoints a representative if the person is charge with a capital crime.
The Federal Court, on the other hand, handles the cases which can be limited to the following:
- Cases in which the United States is a party;
- Cases involving violations of the U.S. Constitution or federal laws;
- Cases between citizens of different states;
- Bankruptcy, copyright, patent, and maritime law cases. (“Federal vs. State Courts – Key Differences,” 2009).
In that regard, the petition was filed to the Supreme Court which granted Gideon a re-trial, where accordingly, the court ruled the second time that Gideon is free of charges.
References
Federal vs. State Courts – Key Differences. (2009). Web.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). Web.
Lewis, A. (1989). Gideon’s trumpet (Vintage Books ed.). New York: Vintage Books.
May, L., & University of Minnesota. Program in American Studies. (1989). Recasting America : culture and politics in the age of cold war. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.